


Bargain

by Runie (Runic)



Series: "We Do Not Work at a Strip Club" [11]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Restaurant, Intersex Loki, M/M, Other, Secret Identity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-16
Updated: 2014-11-16
Packaged: 2018-02-25 13:33:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2623538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Runic/pseuds/Runie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Loki is back in America, but he has one thing to deal with before he returns to Thor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bargain

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize for how long this one took me. All my notes for this series were on my old laptop when it went bust, and it took me forever to rewrite everything I had planned.

“I wasn’t sure I’d see you again, what with you moving across town to be with your _lover._ ” The last word rolls off Sigyn’s tongue like a purr. She laughs as she opens the door wider, inviting Loki in, and heads for the kitchen. Loki can hear the sounds of cups hitting the counter as Sigyn prepares tea.

“I did not come to talk to Sigyn,” Loki says, his tone strangely calm. “I came for Angrboða.”

Something slams against the counter. When Sigyn reappears, her face is pensive, her mouth pressed into a tight line. “You had better have a good reason for uttering that name,” she hisses.

Loki holds up a USB drive, his nightmare contained in something so small it can fit in the palm of his hand, clutching it tightly enough to turn his fingers white. Sigyn is still for what seems like an eternity, but finally she surges forward and grabs the small device, marching over to her desk. She slides it easily into her laptop and opens the only file.

The taste of bile rises up in his throat as Loki listens to his encounter with Svaðilfari all over again. The realization that his son was conceived by rape did not make Loki love Sleipnir any less, but it didn’t stop his stomach from twisting every time he looked at Sleipnir. Svaðilfari had taken the one thing Loki loved above all else, his love for his son, and managed to corrupt even that. For the last few days, Loki had been fighting so hard to convince himself that nothing had changed. This once, his powers of manipulation seem to have failed him.

When the recording ends, Sigyn stares at her computer, fingers slowly tapping against her desk. “You know I can’t use this unless you admit to recording it,” she finally says.

“And you know I can’t do that.”

Sigyn stands up so quickly her chair topples backwards onto the floor. “Loki, you can’t do that to me! My entire adult life has been this pursuit! I had to give up my home! I haven’t seen my family in seven years! My name!”

“Yes, I know,” Loki says softly, sliding his hands into his pockets. “But my son is too important for me to risk Svaðilfari‘s wrath, even for you.”

“If he’s behind bars-”

“Don’t be a fool,” Loki snaps, interrupting her. “You and I both know he will never be destroyed by law. He’s too powerful for that. But if you’re not a complete fool, and I never would have associated with you this long if you were, you’ll know how to use this to do what you couldn’t with your law degree.”

Sigyn refuses to look at him as she grits her teeth, but eventually she unhinges her jaw to speak again. “You let me keep this and I’ll say I used your visit as an opportunity. You had no idea you were being recorded, and I have no idea how the recording got leaked.”

Loki nods. “Goodbye, Angrboða.”  

As the door shuts behind him, Loki has a gut feeling that it will be the last time he sees Sigyn. Somehow that actually lifts the weight off his shoulders, and Loki feels he can breathe again.

And somehow, the thought of Svaðilfari isn’t all that terrifying anymore.

/

“Mumma!”

Loki bends down to scoop up Sleipnir as he rushes forward, barely giving Loki enough time to shut the door. His heart gives a brief flip flop, only as if it is trying to convince him that he should be upset, but Loki shakes it off. With his fear gone, so too has gone Svadilfari’s corruption, as if Loki had torn away a dead branch so the rest of the tree could live. “Hello.”

Sleipnir keeps his arms wrapped around Loki’s neck, popping gummy bears into his mouth from the bag he is clutching like a lifeline in one hand.

“And where did you get those?”

“Present,” Sleipnir answers between gummy bears.

“Ah,” Loki replies sagely. “And where is Thor?”

“Kitchen. Hela said he could help Fenrir with dinner. Thor said he needed to talk to you, but…” Sleipnir trailed off, finding it more important to eat another gummy bear.

“But Hela didn’t exactly give him much choice, did she?”

“Nope.”

“Well, I’m certain whatever he needed to talk to me about can wait until after dinner. Although, we do need to discuss why you’re eating dessert right now.”

Sleipnir shoves the bag down his shirt and tries to look innocent, despite still having a mouth full of snacks. Loki stares him down until Sleipnir fishes the bag back out and hands it over.

“Loki.”

Thor throws the bowl of greens on the dining room table, completely ignoring Fenrir’s shout of protest, and rushes over to Loki, enveloping both him and Sleipnir in warm embrace. Loki tenses for a brief moment before allowing himself to relax, no longer surprised at how much he missed his giant oaf.

“Hello to you too,” Loki laughs, leaning in close.

“I missed you.”

“Of course you did.” Loki kisses the tip of Thor’s nose. “I heard you needed to talk to me. Can it wait?”

Thor looks back behind him to where Hela, Fenrir, and Jor are staring at them, then back to Loki only to realize Sleipnir is gazing at him with the same expectant stare. Apparently Loki has let them spend too much time together if Sleipnir has already adopted the family gawk. “I guess it will have to.”

“Don’t worry,” Loki reassures him. “I’ll kick them out as soon as the dishes are clean.”


End file.
